AJ Styles & Two Fomer WWE Stars Responsible For Current AEW Star’s Sensational Rise

Written by AC Nicodemus • Published Sep 12, 2025 04:58 EDT
Current WWE Superstar AJ Styles was praised by this AEW star.

This top AEW star credited AJ Styles and two former WWE Superstars for his current career ascension.

Will Ospreay is one of the bright, young stars in the Jacksonville-based promotion. He joined All Elite Wrestling after eight years with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he was a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. He is also a former two-time International Champion while with the company and is one of the top babyfaces in AEW. Ospreay is currently sidelined with herniated discs in his neck and is set to undergo surgery. While taking time off to recuperate, he responded to AEW Head of Talent Relations and former WWE star Christopher Daniels’ post on X/Twitter, reminiscing about the latter’s TNA Unbreakable 2005 match against Styles and Samoa Joe.

The Aerial Assassin took time to thank The Fallen Angel, The Samoan Submission Machine, and The Phenomenal One for giving him the motivation to pursue a wrestling career.

The reason why I bought a pair of kick pads and tried shooting star presses. Thank you to all 3 for inspiring me to try this wrestling bollocks,” Ospreay tweeted.

Check out his tweet below:

Daniels was the longest-reigning X Division Champion entering their three-way match, holding the belt for six months at that time. His three-way match with Styles and Joe is considered one of the best matches in TNA History.

The Fallen Angel’s six-month reign came to an end when he tried to execute the Angel’s Wings on Styles, but the latter reversed it with a pinning combination, to become a five-time X Division Champion.

On the other hand, Samoa Joe is also a legend in the business. He had an exceptional stint in TNA before jumping ship to WWE. He is currently with AEW and is a former world champion with the promotion.

WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray Said AJ Styles’ Pipebomb on RAW Has A Higher Purpose

During a recent episode of Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray (aka Bubba Ray Dudley) thought AJ Styles’ outburst on WWE RAW could be a prelude for a potential final run at TNA, since the two companies are in a partnership right now. The legend stated that despite many thinking that the pipebomb was directed at Triple H, it may actually lead to an invasion angle between WWE and TNA.

The WWE Hall of Famer knew that The Phenomenal One was the face of TNA and wanted to see him in the company’s Hall of Fame.

Still, it will be interesting to see if Styles will indeed close his career in the Nashville-based promotion while still being an active WWE Superstar.